How to Make a Cow's Tail

Cow Tales, often mistakenly called Cow Tails, are a brand of old-fashioned candy made by the Goetze company. The candies consist of a powdery cream filling rolled inside sheets of soft caramel to make long, thin logs reminiscent of cow tails. If you can't find the tasty snacks in your local candy store, you can make similar candies at home with inexpensive, readily available ingredients.

Things You'll Need

• 2 10 by 15 inch shallow baking pans
• Unsalted butter
• 2 cooling racks
• Large saucepan
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• Whisk
• Candy thermometer
• Mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• 5 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small bowl
• 1/4 ounce unflavored gelatin or agar agar
• Egg beater
• Pastry bag with 1/4 inch piping tip
• Wax paper
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife

Instructions

Make the Caramel

1. Coat the two baking pans with soft butter and set them aside on cooling racks.

2. Mix corn syrup, 1 cup of heavy cream, the sugar and salt in a saucepan and place it over medium heat.

3. Whisk the mixture constantly until it comes to a boil. Slowly stir in the rest of the heavy cream and reduce the heat to medium low. Allow the mixture to simmer for 6 minutes. While you wait, cut 4 1/4 tablespoons butter into eight equal-size cubes.

4. Stir in three cubes of butter. After the butter melts, stir in the remaining cubes and wait for them to melt.

5. Place a candy thermometer in the pan and wait for it to reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit. This may take 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Remove the saucepan from heat and pour an equal amount of caramel into each baking pan. Allow the mixture to cool.

Make the Cream

1. Cream the confectioner's sugar, shortening and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon. The mixture should look a little dry.

2. Pour 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and add the gelatin or agar agar. Allow the mixture to sit until the gelatin or agar agar is fully dissolved.

3. Microwave the water for 10 seconds and add it to the cream mixture.

4. Beat the cream mixture, using an egg beater, until it becomes soft and thick.

Making the Cow Tales

1. Fill a pastry bag with the cream mixture.

2. Carefully remove the caramel sheets from the baking pans and lay them on wax paper.

3. Place another sheet of wax paper over the caramel sheets and roll them into flat, even slabs. Remove the top sheet of wax.

4. Slice the caramel sheets lengthwise to make 2 inch wide strips.

5. Pipe a line of cream down one side of each caramel strip. Roll the caramel sheets around the cream to make thin logs about 16 inches long.

6. Trim off the ends of the caramel logs to make them neat.

7. Roll the caramel logs in confectioner's sugar and wrap them with wax paper.

Tips & Warnings

• You can cut corners by melting commercial caramels in a double boiler rather than making your own caramel from scratch.

• Try using marshmallows as a filling instead of cream.

• Use agar agar instead of gelatin to make the recipe vegetarian.

• If you don't have a pastry bag, fill a plastic bag with the cream and cut a 1/4 inch hole at one corner.

References

• Goetze's Candy: Cow Tales
• Sprinkle Bakes; Homemade Cow Tales; Heather Baird; August 2011

Resources

• 52 Cupcakes; Where Are Those Cow Tales; April 2007